Florida Panthers do not seem concerned about Matthew Tkachuk‘s injury. The forward was injured during his time playing for Team USA at the Four Nations Tournament. Tkachuk is not new to playing through an injury as he had a broken sternum during the playoffs. However, he is not out for the Panthers until further notice.
During the Four Nations Tournament, Tkachuk left the first game when USA faced Canada. He had asked to leave the third period due to a lower-body injury. This injury kept him out of the game against Sweden where Team USA lost 2-1. He spent the time recovering before the final game between Canada.
Unfortunately, Tkachuk only played a little under seven minutes in the final game before leaving during the second period. He sat on the bench for the majority of the game, missing more than 12 minutes of the third period. It was released later that his groin was injured and causing his pain. His lack of presence on the ice was felt by Team USA, they lost 3-2 in overtime.
Tkachuk was an active player for Team USA throughout the tournament. Even if he was not feeling 100% his presence in the locker room and on the ice was important. His leadership during the tournament was noticeable to the players and the coaches. His dedication to his team was evident, he sat the third period on the bench watching Team USA battle.
Now that the regular season has commenced, the Panthers have released word on Tkachuk’s injury moving forward. Paul Maurice, head coach for the Panthers commented on Monday that there were no concerns at this time. It seems that the severity of the injury is not an issue yet, there should be more known after Monday.
Tkachuk missed Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken and is likely to miss more. The Panthers are to visit the Nashville Predators and as of now, he will not make the trek. He is marked as week to week and could be out until later in the season. Maurice is certain he will return before the season ends.
The winger has been a dynamic player for the Panthers for the last three years. Last season he played in 80 of the 82 games and collected a total of 88 points. The year prior, he played in 79 games and had an impressive total of 109 points. He was awarded the Hart Trophy at the end of the 2022-2023 season after leading the Panthers in points.
Tkachuk has a total of 57 points this season for the Panthers in 52 games. He has 22 goals and 35 assists and an average ice time of 17:54. Tkachuk is the second top point and goal scorer for the Panthers, he is nine goals being Sam Reinhart.
If Tkachuk is to miss more games, there is a high chance that he will be placed on long-term IR. During the game against the Kraken, Evan Rodrigues replaced Tkachuk in the lineup. As of now, Rodrigues has played in 58 games with a total of 13 goals and 12 assists.
The Panthers are sitting second in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. They have a record of 34-21-3 with 71 points. They are holding a playoff spot in hopes of winning the Stanley Cup for the second season in a row.
The goal at this time is to make sure Tkachuk is being evaluated by doctors and getting a diagnosis. Once the team has official word on the prognosis, a timeline can be made for his return.
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